The two most common full face respirator head harnesses are full rubber harnesses and fabric harnesses with elastic straps. Both provide appropriate protection and elasticity to make the respirator sufficiently comfortable for the user to wear for extended durations. The latter of the two is typically preferred by most users as the rubber harness can pull the hair of the user making it uncomfortable to don and doff. The problem with the fabric harness with elastic straps is that the straps tend to lose their elasticity due to normal use (repeated donning and doffing, and high temperature exposure).
These problems have been addressed in several ways, the most common of which is to make the elastic straps easily replaceable by allowing them to slide through the harness rather than being directly connected to it. Making the straps replaceable, however, does not directly address the problem. Other attempts involve covering a rubber harness completely in fabric. This alternative, however, makes it difficult if not impossible to pull through the buckles to tighten the respirator. Other attempts to solve the problem have involved making the straps a fixed length and making a “sized” harness. Such “sized” harnesses are problematic in that it is difficult to get an appropriate fit across large variances in head/facial size and shapes among a wide range of users. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a head harness that is comfortable to use, which is durable, and which can be easily adjusted to appropriately fit a variety of head/facial sizes and shapes.